Trends in stage-specific prostate cancer incidence by neighborhood socioeconomic status

Changes in screening guidelines have influenced stage at diagnosis for prostate cancer, but it remains unclear whether these trends differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES). Using cancer registry data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program from 2011 to 2020, we estimated age-standardized stage-specific incidence rates and annual percent changes for localized and distant prostate cancer incidence by neighborhood SES quintile and age group. Incidence of localized prostate cancer was highest in higher neighborhood SES areas, while distant prostate cancer rates were highest in areas with lowest neighborhood SES. Annual percent changes in localized prostate cancer incidence were similar by neighborhood SES over the decade, whereas the differences in distant prostate cancer incidence by neighborhood SES diminished over this period. The differing trends in localized and distant prostate cancer incidence by neighborhood SES highlight the importance of equitable access to screening among younger high-risk individuals and improved personalized screening strategies among older men based on health status.